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Airbus has cautioned airlines and suppliers that deliveries of its popular A320-family jets may be disrupted due to a transition to new onboard software systems. The switch requires additional testing and certification steps, which could slow production schedules and handovers. The company is working to manage the impact while maintaining safety and regulatory compliance. Airlines already facing tight capacity could feel the effects if delays extend into next year.
Airbus issued an urgent warning Friday about potential travel disruptions as it works to upgrade software on roughly 6,000 in-service A320-family aircraft, following an incident involving a JetBlue flight last month. The company advised operators to take “immediate precautionary action” after determining that intense solar radiation could corrupt flight-control data on affected planes.
A large share of the global A320 fleet may require updates to the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC) system, built by aerospace and defense supplier Thales. While the software replacement is expected to take only a few hours on most aircraft, around 1,000 jets will require a process that could last weeks, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Airbus acknowledged that the fix is likely to cause schedule disruptions and apologized to customers and passengers.
The safety alert follows an October 30 incident in which a JetBlue A320 traveling from Cancun to Newark experienced a sudden nose-down event linked to computer failure, forcing pilots to divert and land in Tampa, Florida. U.S. media reported that several passengers were injured.
The A320 family, introduced in 1988, is the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft line. Airbus has delivered 12,257 units as of the end of September, narrowly edging out total sales of Boeing’s 737.
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Source: NDTV
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